

known painters working from the same object, we should 

 be perfectly astonished to see the different interpretations 

 they have put upon seemingly very obvious things, though 



all might be right according to their own especial scheme. 



One ma\- see grey where another sees warmth ; but if each 



sketch is harmonious in itself, it may be equally beautiful 



and true to Nature. 



It is this individualit)-, this seeing of natural objects 

 1 through our own unaided vision, that makes the stud)' of 



yiv Art so alluring and so delightful. Of course, it means a 

 long and laborious apprenticeship to find out, with only the 

 aid of our great teacher Nature, by what colours we can best 

 express the impression formed on our mental vision of her 

 beauties. 



Therefore do not accept any of the suggestions I give 

 here as final. Try them if you will, but do not take them 

 as hard and fast rules to be followed blindly. God has 

 given each of us a pair of eyes to see with, and we must use 

 those eyes themselves, not depending on the experience of 

 others, if wc wish to do good work. 



It is rather difficult sometimes to answer a correspondent 

 who writes to ask what colour can be used for such and 

 such a flower. How can one give an adequate reply .' 

 What flower grows that consists of one colour only ? 

 Even if the petals do not, as is usually the case, contain 

 wonderful gradations and variety of colour in themselves, there 

 is generally a number of outside influences around to cause a great 

 variation in the local colour ; that petal, receding, is greyer in hue ; this 

 one, pointing towards us, is brightened by a brilliant spot of light ; here 

 the light is passing through a petal, giving a clear translucent effect. 

 Instead of one colour for that flower you will want man\', and if you love 

 Nature and are earnest in your work, it will be a joy and delight to find 

 them out unaided. I can (;nl)' hcl]) \'ou with suggestions and perhaps 

 a few general rules. 



Here is a useful list of colours: — Rose Madder, Lemon Yellow, 

 Antwerp lilue. Raw Umber, Orange Vermilion, Aureolin, Cobalt, 

 Vandyke Brown, Light Red, Indian Yellow, Mauve, Raw Sienna, I^urnt 

 Sienna, Yellow Ochre, Brown Pink. 



Experimentintl _, ... 



with Colour. The woodbine, 



climbini; o'er the 



Now 1 expect we all of usremember howwe learnt, when our first colour door in bowers; 

 boxes were the joy and delight of our juvenile da\s, that red, blue, and ,„j^,j „j m?\n " " 

 yellow were the piiiiiary colours, and not to be produced bv nnv mixtures, mottu-d hue ; 



' ' ■' I . . The pale pink pe.», 



and monkshood 

 darkly blue, 



The white and 

 purple liilly- 

 flowcrs, that stay 



LiniSerinii in blos- 



half a%vay. 



88 



